In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Diamond Bright". The present variety was hybridized in 1987 by us in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was the result of a first generation cross using August Red Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,363) as the selected seed parent and Aurora Grand Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,792) as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The present variety is most similar to the Spring Bright Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507) by producing fruit that is large in size, very firm in texture, clingstone in type, and full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by blooming 1 week later, having reinform instead of globose glands, having a bitter kernal instead of sweet, and producing fruit that matures 12 days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, the August Red (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,363), by producing clingstone fruit that is large in size, excellent in flavor, and very firm in texture, but is very distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that matures about 77 days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, the Aurora Grand (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,792), in fruit appearance by being a full red colored nectarine with excellent firmness, but is very distinguished therefrom by having a large blossom, instead of small, and by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone, that is larger in size, and that ripens approximately 10 days later.